To comment on the problem of only the 'beginner' section getting quick replies to unanswered topics.

It does get the most attention, in a way this is justified as beginners are least likely to be able to help themselves.

However, this could lead to people posting in that section just to get attention.

In addition to the 'View unanswered posts' link on the top right-hand side, a unanswered topic panel could be introduced. This is what the inkscape user forum does, running the same software phpBB (not sure if its easy to implement). See-
http://www.inkscapeforum.com/

BTW - you can get email noticification by using 'Watch Topic for Replies' if you don't want to keep checking back.

edit

BBTW - an answered topic isn't a solved topic, folk can help here by modifying title of original post tile to [Solved] title, once the query has been successfully dealt with._________________helping Wiki for help | IF SendSpace link = "dead" THEN PM me ("up file to http://meownplanet.net/")

I joined this forum because a particular DVB-T problem had become acute but faced a quandry of where and how best to describe the difficulty without attracting over-complex (or derisive) answers. A long ten days and 143 views later I posted an exasperated comment that began to attract helpful replies aiding solution.
Earlier response from an unanswered topics panel would have helped avoid a feeling that my problem was too FAQ, poorly described or uninteresting.

Maybe, I am being a bit dense here, but I don't see a significant difference between having a view unanswered posts link and an unanswered topics panel. I am wondering then, if this would be largely a duplication of function and/or service. Would you elaborate further on your suggestion... why it is needed and how it would improve the discussion and help already provided in the Forum.

Thanks,
Monsie_________________My username is pronounced: "mun-see". Derived from my surname, it was my nickname throughout high school.

There isn't a significant difference, it just makes the unanswered topics more obvious. I don't know if it counts as duplicate service, really its the same service displayed slightly differently.

I already covered how it could help, it would draw more attention to unanswered topics - as they would be on a page everyone visits. Therefore a topic may catch the eye a specialist who wasn't necessarily visiting to answer question.

One problem that I unfortunately created
due to my overly inner need to be of help.

Suppose somebody ask something and then
I could not resist to say something like this

"We have had three threads about that this year
and if you use the link in my signature and the
right keyword then hopefully you find them
and if they fail to give the precise answer
then get at it again here in the thread. "

Something like that.

Megafail a total fail a disaster. Often it
stopped even good contributers to even
read the original questions. They thought
that it was taken care of. Somebody owned the issue.

Another megafail.

Me or Beem or somebody else answered that
you have to describe it much better. What computer
and how do you boot and what error does it give
and so on.

Megafail even after them giving a better description
everbody thought it was taken care of because we
gave advice to describe it better.

So the software somehow needs some indication
So that those that wants to and can help see this:

Please try to help this person ASAP

Now a kind member told me I should change
my behavior and I did my best to live up to it
and it got a bit better when I where able to stop
myself from responding but maybe very many
had given up when I tried to compete with Beem
and me and him always being the first to respond.

Sadly we miss him and have no idea what have happen
to him. Silent for almost a year now. Ooops derail.
But it shows how dependent one get on "regulars"
that try to help out._________________I use Google Search on Puppy Forum
not an ideal solution though

the work around is for people to put [solved] at the start of the topic title - when a solution has been found. Anything without [solved] still needs help.

the trouble is it requires the OP (Original Poster) or mod to edit the title. often the OP won't know to do this.

If more people could edit the titles you could also add tags [unassigned] and [assigned]. [unassigned] would mean the topic is discussed but no one has taken it on. [assigned] would mean somebody has taken it on, but it requires further discussion or research. If that person can't find a solution they would need to revert it back to [unassigned].

you would need regular helpers to be able to edit titles for this to work. or maybe phpBB has a suitable plugin.

one reason why I recommend adding to the wiki is it allows information to be structured rather than randomly stored in discussions on the forum._________________helping Wiki for help | IF SendSpace link = "dead" THEN PM me ("up file to http://meownplanet.net/")

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